Spring-motor.



No. 703,373. Patented July I, I902.

A. BENDER.

SPRING MOTOR.

' (Application fled Oct. 12, 1901.) (No Model.)

luvenl'oz.

- UNITED STAT-Es PATENT GFFiCE.

ANDREW BENDER, OF WASHINGTON,'DISTRIOT OF COLUMBIA.

SPRING-MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent N 0. 703,373, dated July 1, 19024 Application filed October 12, 1901. Serial No. 78,455. (No model.)

My invention relates to certain new and use ful improvements in spring-motors wherein two springs or sets of springs are employed to successively and alternately generate motion, the springs being automatically alternately thrown into engagement with the part to be driven and being held against unwindiio ing when not in such engagement, proper mechanismrbeing provided for winding up the springs when disengaged, the engagement of the springs with the winding mechanism being also automatic. and simultaneous with their disengagement fromrthe driving mechanism; and for this purpose it consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of which it is composed, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,in which corresponding parts are designated by similar marks of reference, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a motor constructed in accordance with my present invention. Fig. 2 is a section thereof on the line X X.

The framework, which may be of any approved construction, is shown in the accompanying drawings as consisting of r the side uprightsA, cross-bar A, andbraces A the side uprights carrying the'transvcrse axle 1. Mountedupon the axle 1- midway between the uprights is the hub 2, having thereon a gear-wheel 3, the ends of the hub being shoul-' dered, as at 4, or otherwise cut away toform on each end one member of a clutch. Upon the axle and on each side of the hub is a sleeve 5, having its inner end, as at 6, suitably formed to engage the clutch member 4 upon the hub, while a clutch member 7 is also formed at the other end of each sleeve. Each sleeve has secured thereto one end of a spring'S, the opposite end of which is se-.

cured to the frame, and these springs when their respective sleeves are in clutch with the hub 2 drive the latter.

In order to wind up the sleeves, a' collar 9 is mounted on each end of the axle 1 outside the sleeve 5, each collar having its inner end properly shaped to form a clutch member 9* axle) it cannot simultaneously engage both. i Each collar 9 has a sprocket-wheel 10 and ratchet-teeth 11 thereon, the latter being engaged by spring click 11, secured to the framework to prevent the rearward rotation of the collar.

Each of the sprocketwheels 10 may have motion imparted thereto by a belt 11 passing thereover and over the corresponding wheels 12 upon the winding-shaft 13, carried in the upperends of the uprights A,and which may be turned by means of the crank 13, and it will thus be seen that the spring which may have its sleeve in engagement with one of the collars will be wound up and that this may be done while thehub 2 is being driven by the other spring, the spring after having been wound up and while in engagement with the collar being prevented from unwinding by the click 11.

In order to permit the winding up of both springs and the driving of the hub by the springs alternately without requiring the at 'tendance of the operato'r furtherthan to wind up each spring after it hasjirun down, I provide an automatic shifting devicexwhich as each spring runs down removes it from engagement with the hub and throws it into engagement with the corresponding collar 9 and at the same time removes the sleeve of the,

opposite spring out of engagement with its collar and places it in clutchwith the hub, the firstnamedspring being then in a position to be rewound, if desired, by the operator while the hub is being driven by the lastnamed spring. This I accomplish by mount pin 20 in a link 30, the ends of which are at tached to the arms 16, while on each side of the pinion 18 is pivoted in the bracket a lever 21, one end of which has a circular toothed face 21 engaging with the pinion and the other end of which projects so as to be struck by the spring on the corresponding side when the latter has unwound to a predetermined extent. As it is advisable that one spring be engaged with the central hub before the other one is disengaged therefrom, I hinge the arms 16 to the rod 15, as at 31, and place banking-shoulders 32 on the rod, so that the arms 16 can be swung inwardly to a limited extent'from their vertical position, but cannot be swungv outwardly, and I connect the link 30 to said arms by pins 33, passing through slots 34C in the link, the proportion of the slots being such that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the right-hand spring and driving mechanism in engagement with the central hub, a movement of the link 30 to the right caused by the unwinding of the said spring will first cause the arm 16, shifting the left-hand spring mechanism, to turn slightly on its pivot, whereby the said coupling 6, shifted by the said lefthand arm, will be brought into engagement with the corresponding clutch member of the central hub. Continued movement of the link brings the inner end of the slot on its right-hand end into engagement with the pin 33 on the right-hand arm, forcing that arm to the right, andwith it the rod 15, the clutch governed by the right-hand arm being thus disengaged from the central hub. It will be thus seen thatwhen one of the springs has been thus unwound it will strike the end of the corresponding lever, forcing it-up, turning the pinion, and with it its arms 19, toward the corresponding side of theframe by which the rod 15 will be shifted, thus shifting the two sleevesin the manner described, whereby the other spring will be placed in engagement to drive the machine, during which time the first-named spring may be re- Wound to be in turn automatically thrown into engagement.

A train of gear-wheels 22 is shown as gearing with the wheel 3 in order to increase the angular velocity of revolution, and of course this gearing may be adapted to the circumstances and use of the motor, and I prefer to place a click 4:0 in the train of gearing in order to permit the last wheel of the train to run by momentum when power from the driving-spring is cut off or reduced.

The speed of rotation of the wheel may be governed by a brake. I have shown such a brake consisting of arms 23, pivoted at 23F in the downward extension 17 of the bracket 17, the lower ends of the arms having brakeshoes 23 upon the opposite sides of the wheel, the upper ends of the arms being adapted to be forced apart by the toggle-levers 24,-actuated by the connecting-rod 25 from a lever 26, the position of'which may be varied from j clutch with the wheel and the other spring into clutch therewith, whereby the springs are alternately disengaged from the driving wheel, and means whereby the spring may be wound when so disengaged,substantially asdescribed.

2. In a spring-motor, the combination with a wheel, of a collar and a longitudinally-movable sleeve on each side of the wheel, the

sleeves being interposed between the wheel and collars and being adapted to be clutched to either, a driving-spring secured to each sleeve, a common axle upon which the wheel is mounted andlthe collars and sleeves rotate,

and means whereby each sleeve is automatically longitudinally moved upon the axle,and

the springs are alternately thrown into clutch with the Wheel and released from-the corresponding collar, and released from the wheel and clutched with corresponding, collar, substantially as described.

3. In a spring-motor, the combination with a wheel, having each of the ends of its hubs IIO shouldered to form one member of a clutch,

of a collar having'its one end shouldered to form one vmember of a clutch and a longitudinally-movable sleeve, each end of each of the sleeves being slotted to form one member of a clutch on each side of the wheel, the sleeves being interposed between the wheel and collars and being adapted to be clutched to either, a driving-spring secured to each sleeve, means for rotating the said collars to wind up the springs,a common axle upon which the wheel is moilntcd and the collars and sleeves rotate, and means whereby each sleeve is automatically longitudinally moved upon the axle, whereby it is successively thrown into clutch with the wheel and released from the corresponding collar, and re- 7 leased from the wheel and clutched with the corresponding scribed.

4. In a spring-motor, the combination with a wheel, of a collar and a longitudinally-movable sleeve on each side of the wheel, the sleeves being interposed between the wheel collar, substantially as deand collars, and being adapted to be clutched to either, a driving-spring secured to each sleeve, and means for rotating the said collars to wind up the springs, a common axle upon which the Wheel is mounted and the collars and sleeves rotate, a sliding rod connected to the said sleeves, a pinion provided. with an arm connected to the rod, and pivoted levers having circular rack-teeth upon their one ends engaging the said pinion, the opposite ends of the said levers being adapted to be struck by the spring when unwound to a predetermined eXtent and thus to shift the rod and the sleeves, substantially as described.

5. In a spring-motor, the combination with a driven wheel, a longitudinally movable sleeve on each side thereof, adapted to be secured thereto, a spring secured to each sleeve, a sliding rod, having pivoted pendent arms, connecting the said sleeves, a link adapted to be thrown in one direction or the other by the unwinding of the several springs, and a slotand-pin connection between the link and pendent arms, whereby the engagement of said springs with the driven wheel may be shifted. and reshifted, the one spring engaging therewith before the other springlis released therefrom, substantially as described.

6. In a spring-motor the combination with a driven wheel, a longitudinally-movable sleeve on each side thereof adapted to be secured thereto, a spring secured to each sleeve, pendent arms connected to the said sleeves, a lever adapted to be thrown in one direction or the other by the unwinding of the several springs, and a loose connection between the lever and pendent arms, whereby the engagement of said springs with the driven wheel may be shifted and reshifted, the one spring engaging therewith before the other spring is released therefrom,substantially as described.

Signed at Washington,District of Columbia, this 25th day of September, 1901.

ANDRE W BENDER.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN L. FLETCHER, ED. M. MOIIAY. 

